Ammunition cartridges are typically manufactured with a predetermined charge. A particular cartridge may be selected for use at a particular range, or distance. Sometimes, to eliminate the need to carry around a variety of different cartridges, the charge of a cartridge may be designed to handle a variety of ranges, but this may result in compromise when used for longer ranges, in which case the projectile may lack the desired energy at impact, or for shorter ranges, in which case the projectile may be too energetic at impact, and cause injury or death. This may be particularly problematic in the context of less-than-lethal (LTL) cartridges, which are often used by military and law enforcement to inhibit dangerous behavior, such as may be posed by an unruly crowd. Ideally, a projectile emitted from an LTL cartridge discourages behavior, but does not maim or fatally injure individuals.